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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Second in the urban fantasy series, Joe Pitt, a new kind of paranormal crime fiction. Yup, the name says it all—gritty, pulp noir about a 17-year-old runaway who gets infected with the Vyrus turning him into a vampire. Spending the first 30 years, few for a vampire that is, learning the ropes and how to survive in his new unlife. Joe decides to go it alone, as a rogue living a precarious life on the fringe of various clans' territories. Tolerated for his fairness.
The Story
It's been rough in the months since that last job when he rescued the girl from her father, the doc who was experimenting with the thing, spoiling Dexter Predo's plans. No work means no money for rent, no blood. The most fun Joe's had was last night when he took care of the drugged-out vamp at Doc Holiday's.
Joe'll just have to bite the bullet and go talk to Terry over at the Society. See if there's any work he can do. Figures that any work Terry'll dole out comes with problems. Big problems. Figure out where the new drug is comin' from. Do it on the QT so no one, I mean no one knows Joe is workin' for Terry.
Wanting to keep himself as safe as possible, Joe uses his own connections to investigate even when the dirt he learns takes him through Coalition territory into the Hood. Where things just get worse the more he learns.
The Characters
The characters are so, well, true is the only word that works for me. Joe is a smart guy in many ways, but, oh so dumb, when it comes to betrayal, plotting, manipulation. He's a straight out guy who takes care of the people for whom he cares.
Evie is terrified, demanding, and proud. Either Joe's gonna be there for her as the HIV gets worse or he's not. And she wants to know now!
The wrap-up on the Count and his little harem. Brilliant exposé by Huston of a spoiled little sociopath. Sure never saw Joe's action coming on that one!
The gang leaders' characters were right on…and so very similar to our own political leaders.
My Take
This was good! I never saw it coming. The truth about Luthor X. How DJ Grave Digga fits into the whole. The past history between Vandewater, Terry, and Predo. Huston had me going back and forth like a ping pong ball! How Huston kept getting Joe out of one mess and into another and then the manner in which Huston wrapped it all up. Sneaky bugger. I ever do a job for him, I'm having my lawyer check out the contract! And all the tricks Huston thought up for how the drug is created….eeeeyew… He is a sick puppy!
The whole plot is a metaphor for how politics work in the real world with their maneuvering and manipulation. With each man's own private view on how to accomplish their particular goal.
If you start this book, don't plan on putting it down until you're done.
The Cover
It's a great cover—gritty, city, rain-slicked streets gleaming in the night with what I'm beginning to think is part of the trademark. A lit cigarette and a partial face showing lip with a fang. The title is perfect, for no clan has dominion in New York City.
The Story
It's been rough in the months since that last job when he rescued the girl from her father, the doc who was experimenting with the thing, spoiling Dexter Predo's plans. No work means no money for rent, no blood. The most fun Joe's had was last night when he took care of the drugged-out vamp at Doc Holiday's.
Joe'll just have to bite the bullet and go talk to Terry over at the Society. See if there's any work he can do. Figures that any work Terry'll dole out comes with problems. Big problems. Figure out where the new drug is comin' from. Do it on the QT so no one, I mean no one knows Joe is workin' for Terry.
Wanting to keep himself as safe as possible, Joe uses his own connections to investigate even when the dirt he learns takes him through Coalition territory into the Hood. Where things just get worse the more he learns.
The Characters
The characters are so, well, true is the only word that works for me. Joe is a smart guy in many ways, but, oh so dumb, when it comes to betrayal, plotting, manipulation. He's a straight out guy who takes care of the people for whom he cares.
Evie is terrified, demanding, and proud. Either Joe's gonna be there for her as the HIV gets worse or he's not. And she wants to know now!
The wrap-up on the Count and his little harem. Brilliant exposé by Huston of a spoiled little sociopath. Sure never saw Joe's action coming on that one!
The gang leaders' characters were right on…and so very similar to our own political leaders.
My Take
This was good! I never saw it coming. The truth about Luthor X. How DJ Grave Digga fits into the whole. The past history between Vandewater, Terry, and Predo. Huston had me going back and forth like a ping pong ball! How Huston kept getting Joe out of one mess and into another and then the manner in which Huston wrapped it all up. Sneaky bugger. I ever do a job for him, I'm having my lawyer check out the contract! And all the tricks Huston thought up for how the drug is created….eeeeyew… He is a sick puppy!
The whole plot is a metaphor for how politics work in the real world with their maneuvering and manipulation. With each man's own private view on how to accomplish their particular goal.
If you start this book, don't plan on putting it down until you're done.
The Cover
It's a great cover—gritty, city, rain-slicked streets gleaming in the night with what I'm beginning to think is part of the trademark. A lit cigarette and a partial face showing lip with a fang. The title is perfect, for no clan has dominion in New York City.
woody1881's review against another edition
4.0
Second in the Joe Pitt series. A real go-to author for a great story with amazing storytelling ability.
mhmissey's review against another edition
2.0
No really into this. It is good vampire noir but no humor at all.
mdstepp1998's review against another edition
5.0
Book #2 of Charlie Huston's urban vampire crime series means means more foul language, questionable moral decisions, and of course havoc on a New York City sized scale. If you loved the series opener, [b:Already Dead|21277|Already Dead (Joe Pitt Casebooks, #1)|Charlie Huston|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167321241s/21277.jpg|1154196], you won't be able to put down No Dominion.
At the end of Already Dead, Joe Pitt was still alive by the skin of his teeth, but had gained a very angry enemy, The Coalition. The largest (and most well fed and armed) of the vampyre clans, who strive to keep their kind a secret from humans, want Pitt to pay for him ruining their plans of researching the vyres through the human owned Horde Bio Tech Company. The Coalitions natural enemy, The Society, has come to Pitt's aid already, so he is keeping a low profile and spending time with his human girlfriend Evie.
That is until a drugged up vampyre shows up to his bar. Only problem is, the vyres destroys drugs that enter the body, so how could a vampyre be that coked out? This question leads to a job for Pitt at the expense of the Society, but takes him head to head with a number of powerful clans and old time vampyres.
The story is as action packed as the first, yet oozes even more intraclan plotting and politics. Pitt is just as amoral as ever, but his emotional attachments begin to show around the edges. Don't think you know how Pitt will traverse these issues while still staying alive because No Dominion will is wide eyed, wild ride from beginning to end.
At the end of Already Dead, Joe Pitt was still alive by the skin of his teeth, but had gained a very angry enemy, The Coalition. The largest (and most well fed and armed) of the vampyre clans, who strive to keep their kind a secret from humans, want Pitt to pay for him ruining their plans of researching the vyres through the human owned Horde Bio Tech Company. The Coalitions natural enemy, The Society, has come to Pitt's aid already, so he is keeping a low profile and spending time with his human girlfriend Evie.
That is until a drugged up vampyre shows up to his bar. Only problem is, the vyres destroys drugs that enter the body, so how could a vampyre be that coked out? This question leads to a job for Pitt at the expense of the Society, but takes him head to head with a number of powerful clans and old time vampyres.
The story is as action packed as the first, yet oozes even more intraclan plotting and politics. Pitt is just as amoral as ever, but his emotional attachments begin to show around the edges. Don't think you know how Pitt will traverse these issues while still staying alive because No Dominion will is wide eyed, wild ride from beginning to end.
pizzasteve's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Another fun addition in the Joe Pitt vampire noir series
rocketiza's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty solid but over explains things in the first half.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
-Hey Jake.
-Hello, Pretend Me.
-Like gritty NYC crime novels?
-You bet I do.
-Like Charlie Huston?
-Read some of his books years ago. Loved em.
-Well guess what?
-What?
-Charlie Huston has a whole series of gritty NY crime thrillers.
-Awesome!
-And they’re set in the LES.
-Whohoo!
-Where the protagonist operates as a guy who does “favors for friends.”
-Can I get a Marc Albert YES!?
-There’s one catch.
-Okay.
-Just a small detail.
-Yeah.
-They’re vampire books.
-Oh.
-And while still gritty, they feature a lot of boring vampire stuff.
-Dangit!
-On top of that…
-It gets worse?
-…it has a plot in book two that addresses racism in this fantasy world…”
-Hey that’s not bad!
-But Huston writes Black characters in the laziest, most stereotypical way possible.
-That is bad!
-So it’s kinda like a vampire…
-Stop.
-Half alive and half dead.
-Damn you.
-You’re still gonna read the rest of the series, aren’t you.
-Sigh. Yes.
-Hello, Pretend Me.
-Like gritty NYC crime novels?
-You bet I do.
-Like Charlie Huston?
-Read some of his books years ago. Loved em.
-Well guess what?
-What?
-Charlie Huston has a whole series of gritty NY crime thrillers.
-Awesome!
-And they’re set in the LES.
-Whohoo!
-Where the protagonist operates as a guy who does “favors for friends.”
-Can I get a Marc Albert YES!?
-There’s one catch.
-Okay.
-Just a small detail.
-Yeah.
-They’re vampire books.
-Oh.
-And while still gritty, they feature a lot of boring vampire stuff.
-Dangit!
-On top of that…
-It gets worse?
-…it has a plot in book two that addresses racism in this fantasy world…”
-Hey that’s not bad!
-But Huston writes Black characters in the laziest, most stereotypical way possible.
-That is bad!
-So it’s kinda like a vampire…
-Stop.
-Half alive and half dead.
-Damn you.
-You’re still gonna read the rest of the series, aren’t you.
-Sigh. Yes.
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
creolelitbelle's review against another edition
4.0
The second installment of the Joe Pitt casebooks was just as intriguing, if not more so, than the first book. I am already working on number 3.